Red
by 1cupoftea
Summary: Like fire. [written late at night, open for constructive criticism]
1. Performance

Like fire.

—

The first time he saw her perform, he didn't hesitate to stare. He couldn't help himself.

Her name suited her - 'Red' like her hair. Red like her full lips. Red like fire, an enticing flame that never failed to captivate. A flame burning in the centre of the stage, a beacon wrapped in gold. Her passionate voice dispelled the gloom coating the audience outside of her ring of light. It seized the hearts of her patrons, a hidden snake of perplexity winding itself around them so that they were immobilised in a trance.

Red was unique, of course. One of a kind. Her music spoke on an emotional level never reached before and her voice illuminated her lyrics in the dust-filled light of The Empty Set. She added something else to the city. Something that lit a flame in even the dullest of people, sparked a hidden emotion that took many by surprise. She managed to reach deeper, to arouse a profound, powerful feeling that swept them away. Her assertive nature led her to push the boundaries, to go beyond; she wasn't afraid to try something new, to play with what would ruffle some feathers. It wasn't a surprise that her music was enough to raise a few controversies.

He wondered how she juggled this with her busy lifestyle and fame, and if she ever thought about the quiet power her music held.

He pocketed this thought into the depths of his mind to ponder over later. She was already making her way backstage against the roar of applause from the audience. He focused himself on trying to catch her before she slipped away. He felt like he had to, like if he didn't he would never have the chance ever again. He'd seen her perform several times now, and he felt obliged to say something. Anything. It compelled him forward and he quickly located a door tucked away into the shadows by the stage. Turning around after closing it quietly, he was met with a pair of startled blue eyes framed with wisps of ruby hair. He opened his mouth to speak.

On the way home that night he almost walked into a streetlamp, slipped on a slick road tile, and had to apologise profoundly to a woman after tripping over her dog in a crowded walkway, which in his opinion, was way too small to even be considered a dog. But he couldn't help himself. His mind was pouring through his thoughts like a hurricane.

'…Uh, hi.' He'd said with a cotton mouth.

She'd given a small smile. It wasn't unusual for an eager fan to catch her after one of her performances. They were usually flustered and blushing. He seemed more collected, but his sharp eyes caught her by surprise. '..Hey,' she'd replied, 'are you looking for an autograph?', before realising that he didn't have anything with him. Her voice trailed off when she suddenly recognised him as one of her regulars. The man with the flashy triangle on his jacket. She caught him in the crowd every once and awhile, making his way out.

Somehow they managed to have a conversation, and somehow he managed to walk her home that night with the promise of seeing her again sometime, perhaps for a coffee or some food. And maybe even a walk in the park after that. They'd have to see how it went.

It was only on her way home that she had remembered that she didn't know his name. She meant to ask the next time they met, she really did - but his lips kept getting in the way and her question soon dissipated. She admitted that she would never let herself go that easily. She would never let anyone get that far on a first date, and it surprised her. But she felt strangely attracted to him and his unusual nature did nothing but heighten her curiosity. Although she wasn't entirely hesitant, she promised herself that she would not rush head first in their later dates. She would let their relationship grow with time. They would just have to see where it led to.

* * *

><p>It wasn't love at first sight. She'd smitten him, yes, but falling in love came slow, patient.<p>

They spent as much time as they could together. He slotted himself in whenever he had the chance - a cancelled show due to overbooking, a few hours between work for some flatbread, a special event she had been invited to by Sybil. He also made sure to watch all her performances, sneaking out of backstage to his usual seat.

She would catch his eye with a wink and his throat would tighten. He could have sworn that she was smirking as she sang - and he couldn't wait to wipe it off her face when they were alone.

Their relationship deepened over time. Strolls through the park turned into candle-lit dinners by the Goldwalk. A touch of the hand, a whisper, a laugh led them stumbling into her apartment. Sometimes she barely finished wiping off her makeup before he'd find her and kiss her neck, hands sliding exceedingly slowly down her body . She'd mumble a few excuses to Sybil on why she suddenly couldn't stay longer to have lunch and they'd leave in a hurry, missing the look of shock on Ms Reisz's face.

Eventually he spent more time at her apartment then anywhere else in Cloudbank. Neither of them were exceptional cooks and Junction Jan's Sea Monster was a regular meal. He slowly grew accustomed to her lifestyle and tailored his routine to fit her busy schedule. Although she wasn't a slob, she did have a habit of letting things slide once and a while, with clothes hanging off chairs and dirty dishes left around the kitchen. He would help her when she was swamped with work, collecting empty coffee mugs and greasy cartons of Junction Jan's. He swiped clean the kitchen and arranged the dishes back to their respectable place. He made the bed and remembered to give Luna her daily meal, picking up stray items of clothing strewn here and there. It always earned him a relieved sigh, a grateful smile and a plethora of kisses on his cheeks, nose, mouth, neck…

When she grew stressful and paced down the hallway he would make her a calming cup of tea, complete with some biscuits or two and give her a reassuring peck on the cheek as he eased her into a chair. She always tried to turn away before he could see the faint blush on her cheeks and tease her about it, but he always caught her chin and kissed her on the lips. She would laugh and swat him away, insisting that he was distracting her from working, although her face was coloured in the way of her namesake.

He learned many of the little habits she did when he was alone like this with her. When she worked there was often held a pencil between her lips, a hum resonating from her chest. She sometimes chewing her lip when her pencil resided in her hand to note something down, and when she woke up she liked to stretch like a cat and kiss his nose before going to make some breakfast. Luna would be walked by either of them in the mornings, but in the evenings they were often too busy concentrating on each other to worry about that.

He had to admit, she entranced him with practically everything she did. He gave her something other than Music to love, cherish. His subtle humour made her laugh louder than she thought she ever could. It was genuine and she couldn't get enough of it, especially hearing his smooth, rich voice. He was not overbearing and crude, although admittedly a bit withdrawn, particularly at those extravagant social events Sybil liked to organise. He could handle some small talk here and there, but after a while she could tell that he would rather be anywhere else. But he excited her in a thrilling way that she was eager to explore. Even in public she didn't hesitate to edge closer to him when they admired the sunset in the park, or link their arms when walking through crowded streets. He liked it when she did that. He liked being close to her, and he could tell that she did too by the way she looked up at him and kissed him deeply. After that it wouldn't take long for them to find their way to her bed, stumbling through the dark with profound kisses and fumbling hands.

In the mornings he would usually wake up first. He would sigh and roll over and see her snuggled into her pillow on the other side of the bed. He would carefully run his hand through her messy hair and she would tuck herself closer to him. Sometimes he would kiss her all over her face and she would protest and roll away from him as he chuckled. He just couldn't help himself.


	2. Late

"Red….Red..the alarm."

She gave a deep sigh as she swatted the alarm clock next to the bed, eyes still clenched shut as she curled under the blanket. Her back was to him as she slept sideways, his breath fanning the back of her neck. Sunlight cut through the window to illuminate the crinkled bed covers that she desperately hid under.

"The gala is at 8….Sybil..she's waiting…" he mumbled into the mattress and she had the urge to giggle.

"Not yet…a bit longer…." Blankets rustled as she adjusted her position and sighed in content. The newly arranged pillow sat atop her eyes as she rolled onto her back. The light would hopefully keep its distance this way.

"We need to, need to get ready,' he managed, sleep slowly draining from his voice as he made his way to sit up. The cover bunched onto his lap, a clean sheet of snow. But he quickly felt himself dozing off against the headboard, his words slurred with fatigue when he spoke.

"Hey..hey Red, we should really be -"

The doorbell rang. A shrill scream that jolted the both of them awake. He blinked and sat up more, looking at her dumbly as she scrambled up to haphazardly drop the pillow on a startled Luna.

She looked back at him, both frozen in shock. Another ring, followed by irritated knocking.

Finally a switch of realisation was flipped and they rushed to get ready in time. She kicked off the covers and hastily tried straightening her wild hair, pulling up the strap of her pyjama that slipped past her shoulder. He had already gotten up to rinse his face in the bathroom when she appeared from their bedroom wrapped in a robe. The knocking resounded again, this time louder and more forceful. "Red, the door!"

Sybil looked up to see Red swathed in a bathrobe, her hair disheveled and slightly out of breath.

"Oh, Sybil, its you!" She sighed, letting out a deep sigh.

"Red! Have you forgotten? The gala is at 8 o'clock sharp! I've been knocking for the past half hour!"

Red looked at her blankly.

"Its already 7:40 and you look like you've just woken up!"

Realisation hit her and her eyes widened. How could she ignore the alarm like that? "Oh, Sybil, I'm so sorry…we completely lost track of time….the alarm…it rang too late.."

We..? Ahh, yes…her newly acquired lover…Sybil peered over Red's shoulder to see him towelling off his hair in the hallway, a tooth brush in his mouth. She sniffed and turned her attention back to the singer. He was probably coming along as well. As he always did, to every event that she was privately invited to. Sybil kept her tongue about it, though it irked her to no end.

"You have to come….we can't cancel again, and I've already told everyone that you would be there. Please, Red…"

Red chewed the inside of her mouth thoughtfully. All she would rather do at the moment was go back to bed, snuggle back into the warmth of the covers and escape back to the land of sleep…But Sybil was right, she couldn't keep missing social events that she had spent hours organising, despite how much she would rather avoid them at times.

She yawned into her hand. "Alright Sybil, just give us a few minutes.."

"Great!" Her face lit up, "Can't wait to see you there! I'll go now and meet you at the entrance at around 8. Please remember to hurry!" With one last glance at Red's mysterious partner, now looping a tie around his neck in the hallway mirror, she briskly left, candy-striped umbrella in hand.

Red closed the door to her apartment, fighting back a yawn. She walked back into the bedroom where she began rummaging through the wardrobe in search of something decent to wear. He followed her in, already freshened up in a crisp dark blue dress shirt and black pants. She turned back around with a low-cut gold dress her hands, laying it out next to where he was sitting on the bed.

She began to undress when she noticed his gaze still fixed on her, and turned around to smirk at him questionably. He matched it with a sly smile and she rolled her eyes.

"If you don't get out we'll never get to the gala in time, you know that."

"Thats' fine with me." He shrugged, standing.

"You've unbelievable!" she exclaimed, but couldn't help smiling.

He caught the pillow she threw at him and made his way out.

"Alright, alright… you know I was joking…"


	3. Winter

Cloudbank in the snow was beautiful - neatly encased in white that hugged its every surface and walkway. Like someone had draped it with a blanket.

In some areas most affected by the weather, piles of snow caked alleyways and sidewalks and roofs, where it perched precariously in heaped domes; an annoyance to the streaming passerby but an evident delight to the children.

The snow was tamer today than it had been for the last couple of days, behaving itself enough to provide less walking traffic for pedestrians. It fell lazily from the blotched sky - a deep combination of midnight blue adorned with a just a hint of clouds, so much so that it seemed like they blended into the sky itself. Yon-Dale had outdone herself today.

Red was humming as she sashayed slowly to the office from the hallway, absentmindedly shifting through stray papers from the table, which included notes from her songwriting. Her voice was drowned partially by the clattering in the kitchen and the drifting sound of the music in the living room that she had put on. It was an old vinyl she had owned back when she was at Traverson Hall - a gift from a friend.

Luna decided to spend her time gnawing at her tail on the mat outside the kitchen. She was banished from the living room for the time being after knocking over two glasses of wine, resulting in an ugly stain and a handful of shouts from her owners.

Red drifted into the kitchen, continuously humming to announce her presence. He had his back to her, busy preparing them steaming mugs of tea. She watched him as she leant on the counter and observed silently. He was wearing the usual white shirt - untucked and sans coat. The wide shoulders, his back muscles, his neck. His _arms._

The light gave a warm glow to the apartment and somehow managed to make it seem smaller and cosier. It was just the three of them, and she suddenly felt content, a warm feeling sprouting in her stomach. The idea of curling up next to him with warm tea was enough to make this time of year bearable. It was a well-needed break from her busy lifestyle, and she was glad Sybil proposed it in the first place. She could be attending a lavish winter gala at the moment, but politely turned down the offer in favour of spending the time at home.

She noticed he finished and stood up to hug him from behind. Lips at the back of his neck left a trail to his ear and then down along his neck. He smiled.

"Hey, Red. Your favourite, as always." His was voice smooth and profound - something she loved; something she could spend all day listening to. He turned slightly to offer her the tea.

"Mm." She was preoccupied at the moment. The mug was lowered and she coaxed him to face her.

"..uh..the tea.."

She led him backwards by the lapels into the bedroom, lips hovering above his and he barely noticed when they flopped onto the bed. She breathed slowly onto his neck as her arms clasped his shoulders, eyes closed, cradling him close like she hadn't seen him in centuries. It felt good to be held like this.

A leg was hooked around his waist. She suddenly smirked and kissed him slowly, as if savouring something sweet. He didn't hesitate to return it, and after a couple of minutes she opened her eyes again, both of them breathless. This time she gave him a smile and a slight laugh - her lipstick was smeared across his mouth.

"Sorry about that, I got a bit carried away.."

He chuckled, his voice light and teasing. "Not the first time, Red. Seems like you can't get enough of me." Her neck was nuzzled.

She swatted him playfully. "Oh, shut up already - I didn't hear you complaining!" He laughed again and rolled off. She sat up to see him make his way out. "Hey, where are you going?"

"The kitchen, Red, the tea will get cold." She heard him coo at Luna in the hallway, before the door opened to the kitchen, and sighed, flopping back onto the bed.

"Ok, but hurry up - its cold in here." She turned to her side to settle into the pillow and tucked her knees closer to her chest.

He was rummaging through the cupboards. She knew that he loved a dash of sugar in his tea.

"Red, have you seen the-"

"At the top, to the right." She called, a little impatiently. All she wanted was to wrap herself around him and he was preoccupied with the sweetness of his drink. The damn _tea._ A drawer opening, more clinking and then the switch of a light. _Finally_ they could spend some time together.

He came in two seconds later and kissed her across the bed before carefully putting down the mugs on the bedside table. She immediately wound her arms around his neck to pull him towards her, kissing him furiously. He broke off when she started unbuttoning his shirt, glancing at the steaming mugs next to the bed.

"_Leave it."_


	4. Beach

_Thank you for the reviews/favs!_

_

He watched her, as she bobbed and dipped into the waves like she was dancing. The ocean was a rich array of blues, from turquoise to cobalt blended together like paint. It flared like a jewel when touched by the suns rays and her ruby hair

Her eyes were closed, a small smile on her lips. He could tell she was humming to herself - lost in her own world of music, that was Red. That brilliant shock of hair appeared here and there as the waves rolled lazily onto the sand, catching his eye like a flame. The water would drag itself back in a hiss and then repeat.

Sighing, he sank into the beach chair, thankful for the parasol that coated him in shade. From the look on her face the water must be nice - satisfyingly cool; relaxing. He allowed himself to drift off and closed his eyes. This was a good break. A well-deserved break for the both of them. Unfortunately Sybil couldn't get off their backs with suggestions of different outings and events they could go to. Red proposed a much more clandestine option that he was thankful for, hinting her desire of being by themselves that Sybil was not entirely happy with by the look on her face. But she accepted wordlessly so he couldn't care less.

The beach was a one of a handful of locations that wasn't teeming with people, a private getaway that only they seemed to know about. It was perfect for many reasons, the most obvious being her elated status that would definitely draw unwanted attention.

The next time he opened his eyes he was met with the sight of her walking up the sand in his direction. The sun scrutinised the area from its place in the sky, pouring its rays onto the sand and leaving a cut-out of her silhouette in front of her. Red was a beautiful woman.

The wind toyed with a few strands across her face and he caught himself staring at her lips. They were parted as she was panting softly, her chest rising and falling. The stripes of her swimsuit gleamed and threw back the sunlight to his eyes, demanding his attention. It was specially made - an exclusive gift, designed to match the gold theme that fit her so well. His heart jumped when he glanced at her eyes to see them fixed on him. _Those eyes_ - like encased parts of the sky.

He sat up a bit in the chair as she made her way to him and kissed him soundly. He suddenly noticed how long her legs were. Her hair - only partially wet - was unkept and battered by the wind but it made her look beautiful nonetheless.

She moved away to settle herself into the beach chair next to his, attempting to flatten the wild strands with one hand as she brushed sand off of her towel with the other.

"Refreshing, isn't it? The water." he remarked. She was laying on her back with her arms above her head, still combing through that ruby hair. But she had a content look on her face.

"Hmmm." She hummed in agreement, eyes closed.

He smiled. "You look so tranquil, Red. Its been a while."

She nodded vigorously, stretching out like a cat and rolling onto her front. Her arms were folded to rest her head onto and she turned her head to face his direction. It had been hectic with her recently acquired popularity, and it was even more so with the buzz over her the mysterious boyfriend. She needed to get away from the spotlight for a bit and recollect herself; leave songwriting for a while and clear her head. Having him with her was surprisingly comforting and made the whole thing bearable.

"Maybe we could go swimming again later." He looked to her for a reply but realised she had dozed off.

"You had your chance." He was taken back by her sleepy yet teasing reply. She _smirked_ slightly to herself and he was suddenly determined to wipe it off her face. "Guess you'll have to wait.." Red was on her back again, stretching her arms above her head. He stood quickly.

She looked up confusedly when he didn't say anything. "Hey, what are you-" He scooped her up in his arms before she could continue and started towards the sea.

"Why don't we go now? Come on, while its still bright." She wrestled violently against him so he made sure to stroke her sides and legs - wherever she was most ticklish. This caused her to shriek and laugh and thrash at him to stop, making her breathless when she spoke.

"No, no, put me down- seriously, I just-!" The splash cut her off and she found herself submerged.

He opened his mouth to laugh when it was suddenly filled with seawater after he was unexpectedly jerked forward. She pulled him in after he tossed her. She hadn't let go of his arms and now he found himself spluttering and coughing and throughly drenched.

"Red! I don't like getting wet!"

But she was laughing too hard to reply and he felt himself start to smile. She was going to pay for that.


End file.
